05 April 2016

What
would you do to realize your dream of being a successful author or
editor? Are there any limits? In the postwar years in New York City, two
young men and one woman learn the answers to those questions:

Cliff:
Greenwich Village in '58 was a madman's paradise. In those days a bunch
of us went around together drinking too much coffee and smoking too
much cannabis and talking all the time about poetry and Nietzsche and
bebop. I had been running around with the same guys I knew from
Columbia—give or take a colored jazz musician here or a benny addict
there—and together we would get good and stoned and ride the subway down
to Washington Square. I guess you could say I liked my Columbia buddies
all right. They were swell enough guys but when you really got down to
it they were a pack of poser wannabe-poets in tweed and I knew it was
only a matter of time before I outgrew them.

Circumstances: Cliff, Miles, and Eden, all just out of
college, have dreams of making it in the publishing world. Cliff and
Miles want to be writers, and Eden wants to be an editor. Each, however,
has to overcome sociocultural expectations and to find a way around a
variety of roadblocks. At the same time, they're faced with moral and
ethical dilemmas and make choices they have to live with forever.

Characters: Cliff, the privileged son of an important editor;
Miles, a Harlem native who managed to obtain a good education; Eden, a
Midwestern girl trying to make it in the city; various friends and
enemies in the Village and in publishing

General Thoughts: Because I'm an editor, I was immediately
hooked on the publishing theme. I loved the period details
concerning Eden's struggles as a woman and as a Jew in the business.
Cliff's personality made me want to strangle him--what a spoiled brat!
And poor Miles, such a good guy with so much to deal with: being black
was only the beginning.

Thoughts on the Plot: The story is told from the alternating
perspectives of the three main characters, and I always enjoy seeing
different reactions to the same set of events and people. I can't say I
especially liked any of the trio, but their sometimes cringe-worthy thoughts and actions made the book interesting.

Note on diversity: Bravo to Rindell for creating a Jewish
character who seemed real and relatable. Eden's Jewishness has a part
to play, but other than that, she's just a regular person. Thank you.

Recommendations: A terrific snapshot into the pre-civil
rights and women's movement era. Rindell's period details of the
publishing world and of the social scene in New York give the novel
authenticity. The characters have to balance their all-consuming dreams
against their personal ethics as well as decide how much of their true
self they're willing to share with the world. Whether you agree with
their choices or not, you'll have a lot to think about. In fact, Three-Martini Lunch would be a great book club choice.

Audiobook: The unabridged audiobook edition (Penguin Audio;
16 hr, 52 min) was read by Will Damron, J. D. Jackson, and Rebecca
Lowman. There were no weak links in the performances, and each narrator
highlighted his or her character's personality well. As a group, the
pacing was good and the expressiveness kept my attention without
interfering with my own interpretation of events. I also appreciated
that all of the narrators kept any hint of foreshadowing from their
performances. Recommended listen.

23
comments:

This sounds so good, and I love the fact that it was an ensemble audio - I love those! It is so distracting to me to listen to men trying (and usually failing) to sound like women! I must say when I saw the title of your post I thought maybe it was a new meme featuring books you read while having a 3-martini lunch, ha ha!

I'm not sure I could read a whole book if it is from Cliff's viewpoint. He reminded me a Holden Caulfield only a little bit older. This week it is an historical romance - Luck Is No Lady by Amy Sandas - on my adult blog. Happy reading!

I wasn't sure about this one, but your breakdown of the book and the opening you shared have me thinking I might want to give this a try after all. You've got me especially curious about the audio version!

I can't wait to read this one! I ordered it from Amazon Vine, so it should be arriving this week. I'm also a big fan of anything set in New York, especially Greenwich Village, and also books about the publishing world.

Thanks for sharing and giving me a taste of what I'll be reading soon. And thanks for visiting my blog.

I was going to say I hated the voice of the guy in the first paragraph, so would probably not continue (even though the premise intrigues me and I've heard good things!).....but then your comment that he was a spoiled brat cleared things up! So, I'd keep reading!

Cliff definitely sounds like a spoiled brat in the opening, and what an ego! I can see how he wouldn't be likable. Although I doubt if I could actually relate to any of the characters, it would be fun to get a glimpse of New York City during that era. Sounds like a good book.Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.Sandy @ TEXAS TWANG

Thanks for stopping by. I read all comments and may respond here, via e-mail, or on your blog. I visit everyone who comments, but not necessarily right away.

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I'm a freelance book editor, reviewer, and journalist blogging as Beth Fish. On these pages, you'll find book reviews, book features, and other bookish content. I like to spotlight my favorite imprints and I'm a long-time audiobook lover. (I was the Audio Publishers Association's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year!) Each Saturday I host my popular Weekend Cooking feature. Don't forget to look for my weekly photograph. You can find me on social media as @BethFishReads. Publicists, publishers, authors: please see my review policy. NB: I did not work on any book mentioned on this site.

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